Members of a Fife-based family-friendly Facebook group dedicated to the art of rock painting were shocked to see a would-be drug dealer infiltrate the popular page.
Those behind the Fife Rocks Scotland (Painting – Hiding – Finding) closed group have been praised for their swift actions after the social media page was hacked and used as a platform to peddle illicit substances last week.
Almost 19,000 people are members of the group, which is targeted at outdoor-loving families who paint small rocks with a variety of colourful designs and then hide them in public places, to be found by others.
The craze, which sees group members regularly post pictures of their discoveries on the page, has been replicated across the UK but the Fife group is believed to be one of the biggest of its kind in the UK.
It is understood the group was hacked and one of the page’s administrators was blocked, allowing the perpetrator to post unsavoury adverts.
However, an eagle-eyed member quickly reported the activity to one of the group’s moderators who managed to remove the offending post and block the culprit before too much damage was done.
A source close to the group, who did not wish to be named, confirmed a message had been posted by a new member purpoting to be selling a large variety of drugs, but the “dealer” was subsequently blocked and removed from the group.
“We are a family-friendly rock painting group and, although we occasionally get some very odd posts, this was reported and the person removed from our group as it was particularly offensive to our members,” the source added.
“Sadly some people think it’s amusing to join our group and then post questionable images.
“We do try our best to ensure that things are kept safe for the children and the adults in the group.”
It is not known how many people may have been exposed to the would-be drug dealer’s message, but a post on the site paid tribute to the member who took a screenshot and contacted the group’s creators about the page’s misuse.
The post went on to warn others thinking about doing something similar that those behind the group were always “one step ahead”.
“Can we just remember, painting, hiding and finding is what we are about,” the post added.
“Don’t put videos shared from other groups either, no adverts, no selling, and no stones with political messages.”
The incident has prompted renewed fears about social media content, particularly where children are involved, and the ability of sites like Facebook and Twitter to respond to misuse.
A Facebook spokesperson said: “Groups are a popular way for people to come together, and we provide a range of resources and support for group admins to ensure they are safe and secure.
“If group members see any content they don’t think should be there, they can report it directly to the admins.”
